All For Love written by John Dryden is a play and is discussed and analyzed according to the tragic theater elements of Aristotle. This play, adapted by Shakespeare’s theater play Antony and Cleopatra, tells how Cleopatra, who once had a great civilization, and Antony who lived with him, had a love for everything. Before I begin, I am going to mention the tragic functions that Aristotle mentioned in Poetica and interpret it according to the last scene in the play.
Aristotle Says…
“Most important of all,” Aristotle said, “is the structure of the incidents. For tragedy is an imitation not of men but of an action and of life. Life consists in action, and its end is a mode of action, not a quality”. Aristotle considered the plot to be the soul of a tragedy, with character in second place. The tragedy aims to teach people about life and generally, the character belongs to nobility to make the audience’s understanding real when the person falls. The audience feels purgation of pity and fear which means catharsis. The main structure of the catharsis is mainly based on peripeteia and anagnorisis in the theater play. Anagnorisis means that a person learns a fact that he or she has not previously realized about his or her life or pushed it into the subconscious and peripeteia means that crucial change or turning point.
The play is mainly about two people instead of one and one of these is a woman. From my point of view, I resemble Antony to peripeteia and Cleopatra to anagnorisis. When the two integrally come together, catharsis turns into a climax. So, I have focused on the V act of the play.
Catharsis turns into a climax…
At the end of the theater play, the death scene of two characters is so near and Antony declares “But, now my winter comes, she spreads her wings” (Dryden, p.77). Caesar goes to the gate of Egypt and he aims to conquer Egypt. However, Antony learns that Cleopatra commits suicide. Then he says “What should I fight for now? –My queen is dead. / … Let Caesar take the world.” (Dryden, p.79). There is a dialogue between Ventidius and Antony. He wants to die however Ventidius warns him about being logical. Antony says “Since I have heard of Cleopatra’s death, / My reason bears no rule upon my tongue.” (Dreyden, p.80), and he tries to commit suicide but he misses his heart and begins to lose blood. Antony prefers to die rather than live as Caesar’s slave and without Cleopatra, this decision brings the peripeteia and he commits suicide.
What is the truth behind this scene?
Hearing the news, Cleopatra enters the room faces a major trauma, and has to face the truth: Antony has decided to give up his own life, thinking that Cleopatra is dead. He says “I’ll make the most I can of life, to stay / A moment more with thee.” (Dreyden, p.82). Cleopatra declares her love to Antony saying “To say I am true: I’ll prove it, and die with you.” (Dryden, p.82). Antony says before dying “ …-This one kiss- More worth than I leave to Ceasar.” (Dryden, p.83), and he also tells that neither Rome nor Egypt is worth the last kiss of Cleopatra. According to Cleopatra, dying as Antony’s wife is the highest tier in this world and her last words are “Now part us if thou canst.” (Dryden, p.86) to Octavius Caesar who has no power to separate Antony and Cleopatra anymore.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have mentioned above John Dryden’s All For Love according to the elements of Aristotle. No lovers lived like them, nor died so well, and now they are in a wealth they’ve never had. The theater play shows that the perception of life and death strikes a balance between all things and love alone. Neither power nor money can change the reality of death. Both Antony and Cleopatra prefer to give up everything they have been possessed of “all” for “love”. Although they lose everything that they had before, they’ll continue their love in the afterlife. Their feelings are so powerful that they do not leave each other even it results in their deaths.
References:
Dryden, John. “All For Love”. 1677.
Bonus:
If you are interested in listening to an audiobook, here is the link for you.
